


The Strange Witch

by FreezingKaiju, Pupmon1



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amnesia, F/F, F/M, Multi, Slow Build, sealed powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 15:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13616586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreezingKaiju/pseuds/FreezingKaiju, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pupmon1/pseuds/Pupmon1
Summary: There are always things locked in the darkest forests, where the sun doesn't shine, and nothing makes a sound. The question is...are these things dangerous? Are they always dangerous?





	The Strange Witch

Garfield Logan wandered the dark forest carefully. Human pushed into his home, driving him deeper. He remembered his mother told him never to wander into the forest where the sun never shines through the trees, but he didn’t have a choice. Humans didn’t like him...and it wasn’t just because he was half elf, though the pointed ears didn’t help.

He’s a druid, taught to connect to nature. He could turn into every animal he had ever seen, and some he had only read about. As long as he could picture it in his mind, he could change into it.

Both of those things would make him unliked by humans...but there was one other detail. Due to an accident in his mother’s lab...he turned himself green. First spell’s always a doozy, and nothing is permanent, she had reassured him, but still. Green. Everything is green...and there’s nothing to do about it. Even his animal forms are green. GREEN! No human is going to like that ever!

So now he has no choice but to live in the wild. He likes it there but it means moving when humans push into the wilds. And they are always pushing...dwarves sometimes, orcs rarely, but humans always. Now he has no choice but to enter the darkest part of the forest, hoping for a few months of peace to move away from here. Even that isn’t always safe...always stay on guard for the worst of the Fae, his parents had chided, they won’t care about your elvish blood. Elf blood just means more flexible workers to them.

Strangely though, he hadn’t seen a single fairy circle, or any flicker of sentient life really, once he entered the darkest part of the forest. It was honestly creepy...there was no light filtering through the limbs. And there were few animals, mainly dark corvids. One always seemed to flutter behind him.

...maybe there was more than the fae in this strange forest. Oh...yep. He found a dark clearing, with a strange stone...it looked like a coffin. A strange symbol was etched into the stop of the stone lid. An S with two flicked marks in the curves.

Garfield paused and struggled to place the rune. It was...slightly similar to Suhil? But no, not really...seemed decidedly different from all the runes he’d studied. Maybe a family rune, one from a long dead and buried line.

But this place didn’t feel lifeless. There was something in the coffin...under the coffin...that wanted out. The coffin gave off a dark energy, but it was weak and...almost pleading.

Could be some kinda ancient evil, could be an innocent soul, could be a vampire...could just be some sorta weapon. 

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Garfield quipped as he reached down to open the coffin. He shoved the heavy stone lid aside. As the lid slammed into the ground, a burst of ravens rushed past Garfield. He thought he saw the birds had...four red eyes? But he couldn’t get a good look. Maybe it was a box of ravens. That would be weird…

Garfield shook his head and focused down on the coffin. There was...stairs? Yeah, Stone steps leading down into the darkness. He looked around hesitantly, before shifting into a small rat and scurrying down the stairs.

He found a large library at the end of the stairs. He found he couldn’t read most of them, the covers covered in strange runes, an ancient language probably. Looked like they’d crumble to dust if he even opened one.

The most interesting thing he noted was the beam of light in the center of the stone room. It illuminated a pale girl sitting on her knees, her eyes closed. She had white chains surrounding her body, shackles around her wrists, ankles, and neck. The chains wrapped around her arms and legs, connecting to a single chain down her back connected to the strange belt of reddish black gems. A similar amulet hung around her neck.

She wasn’t moving...not even breathing, as if she was stuck in a magical trance. Actually...that’s exactly what’s going on probably...

As he stared, Garfield noticed the text on a wall near the center shift, the strange script morphing into Common. He could read that.

_ “If ye can accept the burden, breaketh the chain that keeps her here...but break no more, lest ye doom her, yourself, and the world to suffering beyond the imaginable.” _

Garfield hesitantly approached...the girl was beautiful, and he could feel a weak pleading power from her. He focused down on the chain that led to the shackle on her neck...he just had to break it to free her. He lifted his staff over his head, then slammed it down. The end of the staff slammed into the chain...and it instantly shattered.

The girl’s eyes snapped open, and words appeared behind her glowing red.  _ ‘The raven is free.’ _

There was a heavy silence before the girl started to stand, the chains binding her body clinking as she moved. Her pale skin seemed to shine in the spotlight, the black leotard and fingerless gloves giving a stark contrast, along with her blackish purple hair. Violet eyes looked around the room, clearly confused.

“Where...where am I?” she asked carefully, her voice slightly gravely.

“Beats the hell outta me,” Garfield said with a casual shrug. “I’m Garfield, who’re you?”

The girl opened her mouth to answer, then she stopped. She looked away, nervously rubbing the amulet around her neck. She glanced behind her, then nodded. “Raven. That’s my name.”

“That’s...that’s a pretty name. It’s, it’s cool.” Garfield had no idea what to do. He hadn’t talked to another sentient being in months.

Raven nervously tucked a lock of her short hair behind her ear as she blushed lightly. “...thanks…” she paused for a moment before looking Garfield over. Here it comes...a comment on his color. “So...where are we? And...who are you? I...can’t seem to remember anything, but I don’t think you were here when I was put under. I...hope I would’ve remembered a green elf... Then again...I barely remember who I am...maybe you were here when I was put to sleep...”

“I’m Garfield Logan, and...nope, just sorta found a coffin in the woods? And...you were in here?” Garfield scratched his ear nervously. “...sorry.”

“F-for what?” Raven asked carefully. “It’s not like...this place belongs to me. I don’t...think anyway…” Raven shivered slightly and looked up at Garfield. “Uh...can I have your cloak?” she asked carefully, glancing at Garfield’s brown traveling cloak.

“...oh okay, sure,” Garfield said. He let out a sigh of relief as he removed the garment and handed it to her “It’s kinda dirty and tattered, sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” she replied simply as she pulled it around her. She pulled the hood over her head and sighed softly. “...that feels more comfortable…” Then she looked around carefully, nervously. 

“Do you have any idea why you’re here?” Garfield asked. “Wherever...’here’ is?”

Raven shrugged and looked down at her hands, the shackles firmly secured on her wrists. “...I don’t know...but it couldn’t have been for a good reason… But…” She stopped and stepped back, moving a little. The chains clinked as she did so, but didn’t seem to restrain her. “...maybe to be kept track of? Since these don’t seem to stop me from moving…”

She stopped and picked up one of the books. “...spell books…”

“Huh? I can’t read them.” Garfield said.

“The words are not of this realm…” Raven said plainly without looking up. Her eyes scanned the arcane pages as she flipped through the book. She hummed for a moment, then she lifted her gaze to the scattered books of the library. She lifted a hand and spoke firmly. “Azarath Metrion Zenthos!”

Her eyes glowed white, and a dark energy surrounded her hand. The same dark energy surrounded the books scattered on the ground, and suddenly they started floating. She flicked her wrist, and the books flew onto the shelves, dust drifting as the books slid back into place. Raven dropped her hand and the glowing faded.

She stared down at the book, and Garfield watched her shoulder drop, the cloak falling around her to cover...everything really, well everything it could, it brushed her ankles, just barely hiding her shackles. “...so...that’s what it meant…”

“What?” Garfield stared in confusion...’Azarath Metrion Zinthos’ didn’t match any spell he knew of. “What’s what what meant?”

“...dark energy...that’s what the book is about…” Raven muttered carefully. She was clearly nervous as she looked back at Garfield. “...and the...things...that can manipulate the world with spells…” She sighed and turned back to the book, trailing her fingers over the strange symbols. “‘Those who find this simple to understand are more than they appear, power to draw upon other wordly energy, evil energy...dark energy. They use this energy to manipulate the world around them according to their desires. According to  _ your _ desires. It will come naturally with thought and focus, once it is known’.”

“Huh, okay.”

“...am I evil?” Raven wondered carefully. “...is that...why I’m here? In chains?” She lifted a hand again, the dark aura surrounding her hand. She sighed as the book started floating in front of her. “It does...come naturally…”

“I don’t think so...” Garfield mumbled. “I mean, if you were evil you would have killed me, right?”

Raven sighed, letting the book drift back to the grip of her hand. “I suppose so.” She looked around carefully. “...I don't think I belong here…”

“Well...” Garfield held out his hand in a clumsy attempt at a polite gesture, “I can take you into the woods. I-if you wanna. I’m...not good with people...but I think I can keep you safe.”

Raven hesitated before reaching out and taking his hand. Her touch was pleasantly cool against his skin. “...I don’t want to be alone…” she muttered shyly, tucking the book under her cloak as she spoke.

Garfield nodded. “Alright. Come with me then,” he said with a small smile before leading her back up the stairs to the surface.

Raven looked up at the sky as she reached the top. She looked amazed. She stepped around carefully, leaves crunching under her feet. The cry of a raven drew her attention back to the tomb. She blinked a few times, staring at the symbol etched in stone.

Garfield could see that the dark feathered corvid seemed to have four glowing red eyes. If Raven noticed, she didn’t think it weird. The mage carefully knelt beside stone lid and reached out and touched the cold stone. She was still for a moment before suddenly recoiling.

“No!” she cried, scrambling back from the symbol. It glowed red as she cried. The chains around her glowed with a holy light, and the cry changed, from fear to pain. She gripped her head and trembled.

Garfield rushed to Raven’s side, quickly putting an arm around her shoulder. He held her close as she stopped trembling.

“Raven? Are you alright?” he asked quickly.

Raven shakily nodded as she rested her head on his chest. “Yes...yes...its stopped now…”

Garfield looked down at her hands and almost jumped, reaching into his knapsack for a bandage. “Your arms are burned!”

Raven looked down at her hands and recoiled slightly. Her palms were burned, the red markings creeping under her gloves. She carefully unstrapped her gloves and pulled the sleeves of her leotard back, letting Garfield tend to the burns. They followed the chains wrapped around her.

“...it hurt…” she mumbled. “...it was...was bright...and painful…”

Garfield wrapped bandages around her arms, then touched the chains. He could feel the holy energy lingering inside the cool metal. That shouldn’t hurt anyone, not even a drow should be burned by it. These are things that hold...demons...not people.

Raven watched him pause, and she carefully reached out, taking his hands. “...Garfield? Is...something wrong?” she asked softly, nervously. 

“...nah, nothing’s wrong.” She couldn’t be full demon. Demons...demons couldn’t hide. They didn’t do anything but slaughter. She probably just had some tiefling blood...or, hey, some drow worshipped demons, maybe there was a bit in her bloodline.

Raven pulled away from Garfield and nervously rubbed her wrists before pulling her sleeves back over the bandages. As she did so, the raven from before fluttered down, landing on her shoulder. It stared at Garfield for a moment, before squawking loudly, fluttering its wings.

Raven recoiled at the sound and shied into the cloak around her.

“Huh. I’m...usually good with animals. Is that your crow?” he asked.

Raven shrugged and carefully reached out, touching the small corvid. It gently squwaked and nuzzled her hand. “I...don’t know. He seems to like me…he’s not a crow though...like me...he’s a raven...” Raven paused for a few moments before speaking softly. “...the boys are crows...I’m a raven…”

“Do you remember something?”

Raven shook her head and closed her eyes. “...no...it just came naturally…” She frowned and lightly patted the raven. He nuzzled her hand softly as she carefully stood. “...I don’t even remember his name…”

“Huh.” Garfield paused and reached over to the raven. He squawked angrily and nipped at Garfield’s hand. The druid sensed a dark energy from the creature before it quickly ducked into Raven’s hood.

Raven squirmed a little, then stood. “...can we...go? I don’t...want to be here anymore.”

Garfield nodded and took her hand. He carefully pulled her away from the old stone tomb, and away from the dark forest.


End file.
